Google Blocks Access to Gapps on Uncertified Android Devices

If you load custom ROMs on your Android smartphone, there is bad news for you as Google has blocked access to its apps on uncertified devices whose firmware was built after March 16, 2018.

The uncertified device shows a message stating: “Device is not certified by Google”.

According to The Verge, the move is a part of Google’s efforts to prevent uncertified devices from downloading its applications including Gmail, Chrome, Maps, YouTube, Camera, Keyboard and others.

“Android is an open source operating system, and a million other varieties have blossomed. If your Android device is certified by Google, you’re allowed to distribute Google’s official Android apps on it. If you’re not certified, you aren’t supposed to ship those apps,” the outlet reported.

The users will have to register their device with their Android ID to allow Android apps to run on a device every time they perform a factory reset.

“You can now register your device with your Android ID to allow Google apps to run on a device. There’s a 100 device limit per user, which might cause trouble for highly prolific ROM testers,” the reported added.

Previously, it was possible for the manufacturers to pre-load their uncertified devices with Google apps (also known as ‘Gapps’) but now Google has launched a crackdown against ones that aren’t approved from Google Mobile Services (GMS).

“Google is now checking the build date of your Android system image when you attempt to run Google apps. If you have an uncertified device and you’re running a version of the Android OS that was compiled after March 16, 2018, Google apps won’t work,” the report states.

Now the manufacturers can only pre-load their devices with Gapps and other services when they follow Compatibility Definition Document (CDD) and pass its Compatibility Test Suite (CTS).

The only option for the users of uncertified devices now is to request their manufacturers to submit an application to Google for certification.

Describing the reason behind the move, Google said that it could not guarantee a safe user experience from the uncertified devices and the running Gapps on them may pose some security risks.